Archive for January, 2008

Ideas for workshops for kids (Workshops will start without any technology and add in over time)
Target Ages: 8 – 13

Workshop #1

• Homemade instrument building –After building prototypes, they could be sensor enhanced in a later workshop. (work in pairs or individually)
• Sound art/collage/sound design – Kids create their own sound effects & storytelling (work in teams of 3-4 kids)
• Brazilian and/or Japanese Taiko rhythm workshops– build on rhythms/choreography in later sessions

• Wii workshops
• Teach mini-composition and choreography with wii’s – could expand this to do choreography on floor triggers.

Steim support: Daniel, Frank
Technology: 4 computers with garage band, JunXion and 4-8 wii controllers
Note: Might be possible to do this in collaboration with Klankspeeltuin since they have computers with garage band loaded and a trigger floor already in place.**
Daniel also suggested the following ideas about the wii: encase’ it with a suitable, tangible ’skin’ of sorts. this would be subject of a developing session with the steim workshop crew… further collaboration with frank et al (software dept) would create ‘instrumental attributes’ as basis for a MUSICAL SKILL DEV WORKSHOP

POSSIBLE DATES:
March 31 – April 10
June 2 – June 16 (w/Nime/Steim promotion 6/5-6/7)
July 15 – July 29
August 22 – September 8
December 1 – 10

QUESTIONS:
• Does STEIM have lots of junk stuff/parts lying around for the instrument building workshops?
• Is there a materials budget available for these workshops?
• How much time in advance would these workshops need to be setup to allow time for promotion?
• How many kids is Steim hoping to reach through these workshops?
• Does Steim have contacts already established with schools, kids organizations? If so which ones and who is the liaison?
• Do most kids in the Netherlands between 8-13 speak some English or will I need a translator?
• I notice on the schedule there is overlap with Jon Rose during the end of March/early April– can I realistically expect engineering support while he’s around??
• I am still not very fluent in LiSa or JunXion – do I need to take an orientation workshop before launching into these projects? How important is the promotion of these software tool in the workshops? If this is important, other possible dates I could come would be 3/14-24, but then I would not also be available 3/31-4/10.

Possible Collaborations and Outcomes:
• Collaboration with Klankspeeltuin in the Muziekgebow for workshops: Contact: Anouk Diepenbroek Coördinator Klankspeeltuin Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ tel. +31 20 788 2016 (Ma/Tue/Thu) mobile +31 6 24731571
• Possible Tie in with IADIS- Multi Conference on computer science and information systems July 25-27 in Amsterdam? Focus this year is on gaming http://www.gaming-conf.org/cfp.asp http://www.gaming-conf.org/topics.asp
• Possible Steim Tie-in with Melbourne Festival in October (still waiting for more info on this)
• Heiner Holtappels said he was interested in a collaboration with Montevideo…maybe this would be a good contact for Tarek. Email: heiner@montevideo.nl Tel: +31 20 623 71 01
• Annette Mullink: program manager for Virtueel Platform (formerly at MonteVideo): Email: amullink@nimk.nl
• Tie- In with Rhythmix cultural Works Community Arts Center in Alameda, CA
• Document everything – blog style Possible future papers for NIME or articles in advance of STEIM’s 40th?

Personal Project Proposal*
Darbuka with hall effect sensors through plastic head to measure distance of hands from the head – theoretically, this should be a relatively easy retrofit to an existing instrument. Mapping and sensitivity would be the big challenges to make it interesting and effective sonically. Would need tech support from Jorgen and some software assistance as well.
*I could only find 2 of 10 pages from the schematics for the electronic marimbas, so this seems an unrealistic undertaking to overhaul my marimba…

P.S. I had talked about the possibility of hacking a “sensor egg” in a previous draft workshop proposal – the student that I worked with on this at CMU (Eric Schweikardt) is going to be in Amsterdam at the end of February, so I suggested that he stop by Steim before you all leave for japan. Unfortunately, Eric has the only version we made and it is not in working condition.

Possible artists for STEIM concerts:

• Piet Jan Blauw – www.bluezone.nl (based in hoorn, has been building wacky controller instruments for a LONG time)
• Yann Seznec – based in Scotland, wrote the wii loop machine. http://www.theamazingrolo.net/wii/
• Ulrich Maiss - http://www.cellectric.de/ Cello & Eletronics – Used to be based in Berlin, not sure where he is now.
• Boris Goldmund: Excellent Harpist who wants to go electric: Is going to be in berlin in early april, is interested in coming to Steim (possibly for an orientation workshop) to further develop electronic harp processing potential. http://www.associatedentertainment.com/aec/Music/Classical/Boris-Goldmund
• Joel Davel - http://isproductions.com/joel/elecperc.html - Joel is one of the main developers of the Marimba Lumina. He’s a terrific solo player and resource of info. Not sure if he’s going to be in Europe or not, but if so, it would be great to have him at Steim.
• Tomie Hahn (w/Curtis Bahn) - http://www.arts.rpi.edu/tomie/ — Tomie and Curtis have been engaging in interesting projects for a long time – Tomie’s dance/gestural movement with Japanese sensibilities is really beautiful. I don’t know if they’re going to be at NIME this year, but if so, it would be great to get them up to steim.
• Gerry Bassermann - http://www.opusnine.com/ Gerry is a highly entertaining & talented musician – he plays a mean theremin, guitar, keyboards & more. He currently works for Propellerhead Software which would likely take him overseas somewhere near Amsterdam in the next year.
• Butch Rovan - tp://www.soundidea.org/ — he’s based in rhode island but seems to make it over to Europe every now & then.
• Jamie Allen (is going to be at Newcastle) - http://itp.tisch.nyu.edu/object/allen_ITP.html — I’m sure Taku has info as to Jamie’s current projects.
• Derique McGee: Circus Arts –Electronic body Percussionist & hambone master extraordinaire. Derique is from California, don’t know if he has plans to be in Europe or not but he has a full body trigger suit and is fantastic with kids.